Development and preliminary validation of a prediction formula of sodium and sodium-to-potassium ratio based on multiple regression using 24-h urines.

Accurate measurement of sodium intake in the diet is challenging, and epidemiological studies can be hampered by the attenuation of associations due to measurement error in sodium intake. A prediction formula for habitual 24-h urine sodium excretion and sodium-to-potassium ratio might lead to more reliable conclusions. Five 24-h urinary samples and two Food Frequency Questionnaires (FFQs) were conducted among 244 Japanese participants aged 35-80 years. We conducted multivariate linear regression analysis with urinary excretion as dependent variables and eating behaviour and food frequency as independent variables. Empirical weights of sodium excretion and sodium-to-potassium ratio were extracted. Preliminary validity was also assessed by randomly dividing the subjects into development and validation groups based on the correlation coefficient between estimates by the prediction formula and urinary excretion. Taste preference, soy sauce use at the table, frequency of pickled vegetables intake and number of bowls of miso soup were extracted as determinants of sodium excretion. Correlation coefficients between the estimates and urinary excretion for men and women were 0.42 and 0.43, respectively, for sodium and 0.49 and 0.50, respectively, for sodium-to-potassium ratio. This prediction formula may provide more accurate estimation of sodium intake and sodium-to-potassium ratio than the food composition approach.

Urinary Biomarkers in Screening for the Usual Intake of Fruit and Vegetables, and Sodium, Potassium, and the Sodium-to-Potassium Ratio: Required Number and Accuracy of Measurements.

Because of within-individual variation, surveys to estimate an individual's usual food intake must be conducted over many days, in general. Here, using non-invasive biomarkers, we examined the number of measurements required to screen for the usual intake of fruit and vegetables, in addition to sodium, potassium, and the sodium-to-potassium (Na/K) ratio. Participants were 202 subjects aged 40-74 years from five areas of Japan who completed weighed food records (WFR) and five 24-hour urinary collections (24-h UCs) between 2012 and 2013. The number of 24-h UCs required to screen for intake that deviated from guidelines estimated by the WFR and their accuracies were assessed by the area under the curve (AUC) in a receiver-operating characteristics (ROC) analysis. The single urinary excretion of sodium, potassium, and the Na/K ratio showed moderate performance (AUC value: >0.7) in discriminating deviations from their criteria by respective intake based on the WFR. Urinary potassium excretion also showed moderate performance (AUC value: >0.7) in estimating the intake of vegetables but could not be used to estimate fruit intake even after five collections. The non-invasive measurement of biomarkers in a single 24-h UC showed moderate performance in screening the usual intake of vegetables, as measured based on the 12-day WFR, as well as of sodium, potassium, and the Na/K ratio.

Validity of the intake of sugars, amino acids, and fatty acids estimated using a self-administered food frequency questionnaire in middle-aged and elderly Japanese: the Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study for the Next Generation (JPHC-NEXT) Protocol Area.

BACKGROUND: The Japanese database of food composition was revised in 2020, during which both the number of food items and the number of food items measured for sugars, amino acids, and fatty acids were increased. We evaluated the validity of estimated intakes of sugars, amino acids and fatty acids using a long-food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) among middle-aged and elderly Japanese. METHODS: From 2012 to 2013, 240 men and women aged 40-74 years from five areas in the JPHC-NEXT protocol were asked to respond to the long-FFQ and provide a 12-day weighed food record (WFR) as reference. The long-FFQ, which included 172 food and beverage items and 11 seasonings, was compared with a 3-day WFR, completed during each distinct season, and validity was assessed using Spearman's correlation coefficients. RESULTS: Percentage differences based on the long-FFQ with the 12-day WFR in men and women varied from -83.9% to 419.6%, and from -75.8% to 623.1% for sugars, -17.5% to 2.8% and -5.8% to 19.6% for amino acids, and -58.5% to 78.8% and -43.4% to 129.3% for fatty acids, respectively. Median values of correlation coefficients for the long-FFQ in men and women were 0.52 and 0.42 for sugars, 0.38 and 0.37 for amino acids, and 0.42 and 0.42 for fatty acids, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The long-FFQ provided reasonable validity in estimating the intakes of sugars, amino acids, and fatty acids in middle-aged and elderly Japanese. Although caution is warranted for some nutrients, these results may be used in future epidemiological studies.

Prospective study of dietary changes in cancer survivors for five years including pre- and post- diagnosis compared with those in cancer-free participants.

The number of long-term survivors after a cancer diagnosis is increasing. Few investigations have compared survivors' diets to their original pre-diagnosis dietary pattern or with the patterns of cancer-free controls. We examined the dietary changes in survivors for five years (i.e. before to after diagnosis) in cancer survivors, comparing them with cancer-free controls in a prospective cohort study in Japan. Using 1995-1998 for the baseline and 2000-2003 for the follow-up survey, a validated food frequency questionnaire was administered to 33,643 men and 39,549 women aged 45-74 years. During the follow-up period, 886 men and 646 women had developed cancer. Participants that had not been diagnosed with cancer served as controls. There was a greater decrease in the calorie intake (median change: - 168 kcal/d [Interquartile range: - 640, 278]) in male cancer survivors compared to controls (- 33 kcal/d [- 453, 380], P < .001). On comparison with cancer-free controls, multiple linear regression analysis revealed a significantly larger reduction in energy-adjusted ethanol intake for male cancer survivors (ß = - 0.36). There was no difference in changes in fruit and vegetable or red meat intake and no other significant differences in dietary changes between survivors and controls for either gender. This suggests that most dietary changes in survivors after cancer diagnosis are not systematically different from those that occur in people without a cancer diagnosis.

Dietary sodium sources according to four 3-d weighed food records and their association with multiple 24-h urinary excretions among middle-aged and elderly Japanese participants in rural areas.

Reducing Na intake is an urgent global challenge, especially in East Asia and high-income Asia-Pacific regions. However, the sources of Na and their effects on urinary Na excretion have not been fully studied. We sought to clarify these sources and their association with urinary Na excretion. We examined four 3-d weighed food records and five 24-h urinary collections from each of 253 participants in Japan, aged 35-80 years, between 2012 and 2013. We compared the levels of Na according to four categories: foods contributing to discretionary or non-discretionary Na intake, the situation in which dishes were cooked and consumed, food groups and types of cuisine. We also conducted regression analysis in which 24-h urinary Na excretion was a dependent variable and the amounts of food intake in the four categories were independent variables. Levels of Na were the highest in discretionary intake (60·6 %) and in home-prepared dishes (84·0 %). Of the food groups, miso soup showed the highest percentage contribution to Na intake (13·3 %) after seasonings such as soya sauce. In the regression analysis, the standardised coefficient for foods of non-discretionary Na sources was larger than that for discretionary sources, whereas that for home-prepared dishes was consistent with the levels of Na in those foods. Pickled products, followed by fresh fish and shellfish, miso soup and rice, were associated with high urinary Na excretion. Thus, discretionary foods (such as miso soup) contribute the most to Na consumption, although non-discretionary intake (such as pickled vegetables) may influence urinary Na excretion.

A method of determining anaerobic threshold from percutaneous oxygen saturation.

The anaerobic threshold (AT) is the point of the aerobic-to-anaerobic metabolic switch. Despite the many clinical applications of AT, this measurement requires sophisticated equipment and skills. Here, we investigated a simple measurement method for AT using percutaneous oxygen saturation (SpO2) and pulse rate (PR) with a pulse oximeter in a study of exercise stress on healthy volunteers. Twenty individuals (ten men and ten women) were included in the study. Various respiratory parameters, including AT, were measured using conventional analytical methods. The SpO2 threshold (ST) was calculated using the SpO2-Slope method. The mean ± standard deviations SpO2 at ST was 97.8% ± 0.3% in men and 99.0 ± 0.3% in women. The concordance and interchangeability between ST and various five different types of AT, the ventilatory equivalent for oxygen (VE/VO2_AT), V-Slope (V-Slope_AT), ventilatory equivalent (VE_AT), respiratory exchange ratio (R_AT), and partial pressure of end-tidal oxygen (PETO2_AT) were generally high, with positive correlation coefficients in the range of [0.68-0.80]. These findings suggest that the SpO2-Slope method with a pulse oximeter may be a useful and simple method to determine AT compared to conventional methods.

Transcatheter arterial embolization for traumatic injury to the pharyngeal branch of the ascending pharyngeal artery: Two case reports.

BACKGROUND: The ascending pharyngeal artery (APhA) comprises the pharyngeal trunk (PT) and neuromeningeal trunk. The PT feeds the nasopharynx and adjacent tissue, which potentially connects with the sphenopalatine artery (SPA), branched from the internal maxillary artery (IMA). Due to its location deep inside the body, the PT is rarely injured by trauma. Here, we present two cases that underwent transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE) of the PT of the APhA due to trauma and iatrogenic procedure. CASE SUMMARY: Case 1 is a 49-year-old Japanese woman who underwent transoral endoscopy under sedation for a medical check-up. The nasal airway was inserted as glossoptosis occurred during sedation. Bleeding from the nasopharynx was observed during the endoscopic procedure. As the bleeding continued, the patient was referred to our hospital for further treatment. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) demonstrated extravasation in the nasopharynx originating from the right Rosenmuller fossa. TAE was performed and the extravasation disappeared after embolization. Case 2 is a 28-year-old Japanese woman who fell from the sixth floor of a building and was transported to our hospital. Contrast-enhanced CT demonstrated a complex facial fracture accompanying extravasation in the left pterygopalatine fossa to the nasopharynx. Angiography demonstrated an irregular third portion of the IMA. As angiography after TAE of the IMA demonstrated extravasation from the PT of the APhA, additional TAE to the artery was performed. The bleeding stopped after the procedure. CONCLUSION: Radiologists should be aware that the PT of the APhA can be a bleeding source, which has a potential connection with the SPA.

Pharmacokinetics of a Single Intake of a Self-Emulsifying Drug Delivery System Containing the Triglyceride Form of DHA: A Randomized, Double-Blinded, Crossover Study.

Background: The health benefits of n-3 (ω-3) PUFAs are well studied. A self-emulsifying drug delivery system (SEDDS) is expected to improve n-3 PUFA absorption. Objectives: The present study investigated how a single ingestion of a new SEDDS containing the triglyceride (TG) form of DHA (22:6n-3) (DHA/TG) would affect the plasma DHA concentration in healthy participants. Methods: Fifteen healthy participants (age: 20-65 y; BMI: 18.5-25 kg/m2) were enrolled in this randomized, double-blind, crossover study. Participants in a fasting state consumed a single dose of 920 mg DHA and 80 mg EPA (20:5n-3) in SEDDS soft capsules (SEDDS capsule) or non-emulsifying soft capsules (control capsule). Blood was sampled at 0, 1.5, 3, 5, 7, and 9 h after dosing. The primary outcome was the baseline-adjusted incremental AUC (iAUC) for plasma DHA concentrations (iAUC_DHA). Results: The iAUC_DHA was significantly higher for the SEDDS capsule (147.9 ± 15.8 µg·h/mL) than for the control capsule (106.4 ± 18.1 µg·h/mL) (P = 0.018; SEDDS/control ratio: 1.4:1). However, plasma EPA concentrations and iAUC values did not significantly differ between the SEDDS and control capsules. Cmax was significantly higher with the SEDDS capsule for both DHA (P = 0.019) and EPA (P = 0.012) than with the control capsule. Conclusions: These results suggest that a SEDDS improves the absorbability of DHA/TG in healthy participants. This indicates that SEDDS capsules would be beneficial for efficient ingestion of DHA.This trial was registered at https://www.umin.ac.jp/ctr/ as UMIN000044188.

Validity of the Food Frequency Questionnaire-Estimated Intakes of Sodium, Potassium, and Sodium-to-Potassium Ratio for Screening at a Point of Absolute Intake among Middle-Aged and Older Japanese Adults.

Using Food Frequency Questionnaires (FFQs) to compare dietary references for screening has been in high demand. However, FFQs have been widely used for ranking individuals in a population based on their dietary intake. We determined the validity of sodium (salt equivalent) intake, potassium intake, and sodium-to-potassium (Na/K) ratio obtained using the FFQ for identifying individuals who deviated from the dietary reference intakes (DRIs) measured using multiple 24-h urinary excretion measurements or 12-day weighed food records (WFR). This study included 235 middle-aged subjects. The correlation coefficients (CCs) between the FFQ and WFR estimates were mostly moderate (0.24−0.54); the CCs between the FFQ and 24-h urinary excretion measurements were low or moderate (0.26−0.38). Values of area under the receiver-operating curve (AUC) at the point of DRIs for salt equivalent or potassium were >0.7 with the WFR as the reference standard and 0.60−0.76 with the 24-h urinary excretion as the reference standard. Using both standard measures, the AUC for the Na/K ratio was <0.7. The accuracy of salt equivalent and potassium intake estimation using the FFQ to determine absolute intake point was comparable to that using WFR, allowing for quantified error, but not as good as that of 24-h urinary excretion.

Potentially inappropriate medications at admission among elderly patients transported to a tertiary emergency medical institution in Japan.

Aim: Potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) have been reported to be associated with lower adherence, higher rates of adverse events, and higher health-care costs in elderly patients with high comorbidity. However, inappropriate prescribing has not been adequately reported in studies of patients transported to tertiary care hospitals. In this study, we investigated PIMs at the time of admission, on the basis of the prescription status of elderly patients admitted to a tertiary emergency room (ER). Methods: We included 316 patients (168 men and 148 women, aged 75-97 years) who were admitted to our ER from September 2018 to August 2019, whose prescriptions were available on admission. Drugs that met the Screening Tool of Older Persons' Potentially Inappropriate Prescriptions (STOPP) criteria version 2 were defined as PIMs. The primary outcome was the proportion of older adults taking at least one PIM at admission. Results: The proportion of patients taking PIMs at admission was 57% (n = 179). The most common PIMs were benzodiazepines, proton pump inhibitors, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. The total number of medications prescribed at admission, prescriptions from multiple institutions, and prescriptions from clinics were the risk factors for PIMs at admission (P < 0.01, P < 0.001, and P < 0.001, respectively). Conclusion: We must be careful to avoid inappropriate prescribing for patients transported to tertiary care hospitals who have numerous prescriptions at the time of admission, patients who receive prescriptions from multiple medical institutions, and patients who receive prescriptions from clinics.

Potentially inappropriate medications at discharge among elderly patients at a single tertiary emergency medical institution in Japan: a retrospective cross-sectional observational study.

AIM: Potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) are associated with a lower medication adherence and a higher incidence of adverse events and medical costs among elderly patients. The current study aimed to examine the prescription status of elderly patients transported to tertiary emergency medical institutions to compare the proportion of elderly patients using PIMs at admission and discharge and to investigate the characteristics of PIMs at discharge and their associated factors. METHODS: In total, 264 patients aged 75 years or older who were transferred to and discharged from the emergency room at Tokyo Medical University Hospital, a tertiary care hospital, from September 2018 to August 2019 were included in this study. We quantified the number of PIMs at admission and discharge based on the Screening Tool of Older Persons' Potentially Inappropriate Prescriptions (STOPP) criteria version 2. The primary outcomes were the proportion of elderly patients taking at least one PIM at admission and discharge. RESULTS: The proportions of patients taking PIMs at admission and discharge were 55% (n = 175) and 28% (n = 74), respectively. Old age, greater number of PIMs at admission, and greater number of medications at discharge were directly associated with PIMs at discharge. CONCLUSIONS: Admission to tertiary care hospitals resulted in a lower number of prescribed PIMs. Elderly patients with a higher number of PIMs at admission and higher number of medications at discharge might have been prescribed with PIMs.

Leucine-Responsive Regulatory Protein in Acetic Acid Bacteria Is Stable and Functions at a Wide Range of Intracellular pH Levels.

Acetic acid bacteria grow while producing acetic acid, resulting in acidification of the culture. Limited reports elucidate the effect of changes in intracellular pH on transcriptional factors. In the present study, the intracellular pH of Komagataeibacter europaeus was monitored with a pH-sensitive green fluorescent protein, showing that the intracellular pH decreased from 6.3 to 4.7 accompanied by acetic acid production during cell growth. The leucine-responsive regulatory protein of K. europaeus (KeLrp) was used as a model to examine pH-dependent effects, and its properties were compared with those of the Escherichia coli ortholog (EcLrp) at different pH levels. The DNA-binding activities of EcLrp and KeLrp with the target DNA (Ec-ilvI and Ke-ilvI) were examined by gel mobility shift assays under various pH conditions. EcLrp showed the highest affinity with the target at pH 8.0 (Kd [dissociation constant], 0.7 µM), decreasing to a minimum of 3.4 µM at pH 4.0. Conversely, KeLrp did not show significant differences in binding affinity between pH 4 and 7 (Kd, 1.0 to 1.5 µM), and the highest affinity was at pH 5.0 (Kd, 1.0 µM). Circular dichroism spectroscopy revealed that the α-helical content of KeLrp was the highest at pH 5.0 (49%) and was almost unchanged while being maintained at >45% over a range of pH levels examined, while that of EcLrp decreased from its maximum (49% at pH 7.0) to its minimum (36% at pH 4.0). These data indicate that KeLrp is stable and functions over a wide range of intracellular pH levels. IMPORTANCE Lrp is a highly conserved transcriptional regulator found in bacteria and archaea and regulates transcriptions of various genes. The intracellular pH of acetic acid bacteria (AAB) changes accompanied by acetic acid production during cell growth. The Lrp of AAB K. europaeus (KeLrp) was structurally stable over a wide range of pH and maintained DNA-binding activity even at low pH compared with Lrp from E. coli living in a neutral environment. An in vitro experiment showed DNA-binding activity of KeLrp to the target varied with changes in pH. In AAB, change of the intracellular pH during a cell growth would be an important trigger in controlling the activity of Lrp in vivo.

Saving patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest using Impella: three case reports.

BACKGROUND: The efficacy of Impella for patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest is unknown. We report the cases of three patients with cardiogenic out-of-hospital cardiac arrest who received hemodynamic support with Impella. CASE PRESENTATION: Two patients, Case 2 and Case 3, received concomitant treatment with venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and Impella. Percutaneous coronary intervention was undertaken in two patients, Case 1 and Case 3. Two patients, Case 1 and Case 3, showed favorable neurological function with the Glasgow-Pittsburgh cerebral performance and overall performance categories score of 1 at discharge. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that Impella is effective in patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Further studies are required to understand the use of Impella for patients with out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

Variations in the estimated intake of acrylamide from food in the Japanese population.

BACKGROUND: Due to concerns of carcinogenicity, it is necessary to assess long-term acrylamide exposure in individuals. Whether the available methods of estimating acrylamide intake can indicate long-term exposure remains unknown. We examined variations in the estimated dietary acrylamide intake of the Japanese population. METHODS: The study included 240 participants aged 40-74 years who were a part of the Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study for the Next Generation (JPHC-NEXT). Twelve-day dietary records (DRs) were collected over a one-year period, and food frequency questionnaires (FFQs) were collected twice during the year. Dietary acrylamide intake was estimated from an acrylamide content database. Within-individual variations and between-individual variations were calculated using the random effects model. A linear regression analysis was performed to identify foods with large between-individual variations. RESULTS: The ratios of within-individual variance to between-individual variation were 3.2 for men and 4.3 for women. Days of DRs required to estimate the usual individual intake within 20% of the true mean intake with 95% confidence were 60 days for men and 66 days for women. Coffee/cocoa, potato, and green tea contributed to between-individual variations, in that order, and seven foods contributed to 93% of the between-individual variation. CONCLUSIONS: Estimating the acrylamide intake using DRs requires an extended data collection period to estimate the intragroup ranking and habitual intake of individuals. Long-term exposure assessments should be based on methods with less potential for measurement errors, such as the use of biomarkers.

Validation of the Prediction of Delirium for Intensive Care model to predict subsyndromal delirium.

AIM: Subsyndromal delirium is associated with prolonged intensive care unit stays, and prolonged mechanical ventilation requirements. The Prediction of Delirium for Intensive Care (PRE-DELIRIC) model can predict delirium. This study was designed to verify if it can also predict development of subsyndromal delirium. METHODS: We undertook a single-center, retrospective observation study in Japan. We diagnosed subsyndromal delirium based on the Intensive Care Delirium Screening Checklist. We calculated the sensitivity and specificity of the PRE-DELIRIC model and obtained a diagnostic cut-off value. RESULTS: We evaluated data from 70 patients admitted to the mixed medical intensive care unit of the Tokyo Medical University Hospital (Tokyo, Japan) between May 2015 and February 2017. The prevalence of subsyndromal delirium by Intensive Care Delirium Screening Checklist was 31.4%. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.83 of the PRE-DELIRIC model for subsyndromal delirium. The calculated cut-off value was 36 points with a sensitivity of 94.3% and specificity of 57.1%. Subsyndromal delirium was associated with a higher incidence of delirium (odds ratio, 8.81; P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: The PRE-DELIRIC model could be a tool for predicting subsyndromal delirium using a cut-off value of 36 points.

Leucine responsive regulatory protein is involved in methionine metabolism and polyamine homeostasis in acetic acid bacterium Komagataeibacter europaeus.

The leucine responsive regulatory protein (Lrp) is a global transcription factor that regulates the expression of genes involved in amino acid metabolism. To identify metabolic pathways and related genes under the control of Lrp in the acetic acid bacterium Komagataeibacter europaeus, the Kelrp null mutant (KGMA7110), which requires supplementation of all 20 amino acids for normal growth, was cultivated in minimal media containing or lacking particular amino acids. The results confirmed that KGMA7110 was auxotrophic for methionine and its catabolites S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) and spermidine (SPD). Quantitative reverse-transcription PCR analysis revealed lower metK (SAM synthetase) and mdtI (SPD efflux pump) expression in KGMA7110 than in wild-type KGMA0119. By contrast, these genes were significantly up-regulated in the Kelrp mutant lacking the putative C-terminal ligand-sensing domain (KGMA7203), indicating abnormal regulation of target genes by the KeLrp variant in KGMA7203. KGMA7110 (0.69±0.27 µM) and KGMA7203 (4.90±0.61 µM) excreted lower and higher quantities of SPD, respectively, than KGMA0119 (2.28±0.26 µM). This was attributed to imbalanced carbon flow caused by Kelrp disruption that respectively attenuated and stimulated metK and mdtI expression. These findings indicate that KeLrp plays a key role in SAM biosynthesis and intracellular polyamine homeostasis in K. europaeus.

Online version of the self-administered food frequency questionnaire for the Japan Public Health Center-based Prospective Study for the Next Generation (JPHC-NEXT) protocol: Relative validity, usability, and comparison with a printed questionnaire.

BACKGROUND: Online dietary assessment tools offer advantages over printed questionnaires, such as the automatic and direct data storage of answers, and have the potential to become valuable research methods. We developed an online survey system (web-FFQ) for the existing printed FFQ used in the JPHC-NEXT protocol, the platform of a large-scale genetic cohort study. Here, we examined the validity of ranking individuals according to dietary intake using this web-FFQ and its usability compared with the printed questionnaire (print-FFQ) for combined usage. METHODS: We included 237 men and women aged 40-74 years from five areas specified in the JPHC-NEXT protocol. From 2012 to 2013, participants were asked to provide 12-day weighed food records (12d-WFR) as the reference intake and to respond to the print- and web-FFQs. Spearman's correlation coefficients (CCs) between estimates using the web-FFQ and 12d-WFR were calculated. Cross-classification of intakes was compared with those using the print-FFQ. RESULTS: Most participants (83%) answered that completing the web-FFQ was comparable to or easier than completing the printed questionnaire. The median value of CCs across energy and 53 nutrients for men and women was 0.47 (range, 0.10-0.86) and 0.46 (range, 0.16-0.69), respectively. CCs for individual nutrient intakes were closely similar to those based on the print-FFQ, irrespective of response location. Cross-classification by quintile of intake based on two FFQs was reasonably accurate for many nutrients and food groups. CONCLUSION: This online survey system is a reasonably valid measure for ranking individuals by intake for many nutrients, like the printed FFQ. Mixing of two FFQs for exposure assessments in epidemiological studies appears acceptable.

Comparison of weighed food record procedures for the reference methods in two validation studies of food frequency questionnaires.

BACKGROUND: Although open-ended dietary assessment methods, such as weighed food records (WFRs), are generally considered to be comparable, differences between procedures may influence outcome when WFRs are conducted independently. In this paper, we assess the procedures of WFRs in two studies to describe their dietary assessment procedures and compare the subsequent outcomes. METHODS: WFRs of 12 days (3 days for four seasons) were conducted as reference methods for intake data, in accordance with the study protocol, among a subsample of participants of two large cohort studies. We compared the WFR procedures descriptively. We also compared some dietary intake variables, such as the frequency of foods and dishes and contributing foods, to determine whether there were differences in the portion size distribution and intra- and inter-individual variation in nutrient intakes caused by the difference in procedures. RESULTS: General procedures of the dietary records were conducted in accordance with the National Health and Nutrition Survey and were the same for both studies. Differences were seen in 1) selection of multiple days (non-consecutive days versus consecutive days); and 2) survey sheet recording method (individual versus family participation). However, the foods contributing to intake of energy and selected nutrients, the portion size distribution, and intra- and inter-individual variation in nutrient intakes were similar between the two studies. CONCLUSION: Our comparison of WFR procedures in two independent studies revealed several differences. Notwithstanding these procedural differences, however, the subsequent outcomes were similar.

Polyamines in brown rice vinegar function as potent attractants for the spotted wing drosophila.

Vinegar produced by acetic acid bacteria is used as an attractant for fruit flies. Apple cider vinegar (ACV) and brown rice vinegar (BRV) are used as lures to detect Drosophila suzukii (also known as the spotted wing drosophila [SWD], a newly emerging invasive pest of soft-skinned fruits) and to capture Drosophila melanogaster, respectively. In the present study, we evaluated the attractiveness of BRV and ACV to SWD in laboratory trapping experiments using an upturned microcentrifuge tube with a pipette tip as a trap. We transferred SWD (approximately 20, 7-10 days old) to a glass vial containing a trap baited with BRV or ACV and counted the captured flies. BRV attracted more flies (52.88 ± 9.75%) than ACV (35.78 ± 7.47%) in 6 h. Based on high-performance liquid chromatography, we found that BRV contained greater amounts of putrescine (12.36 ± 0.44 µM) and spermidine (35.08 ± 4.34 µM) than ACV (putrescine, 0.31 ± 0.067 µM; spermidine, not detected). The attractiveness of ACV supplemented with putrescine (12 µM) and spermidine (35 µM) (68.56 ± 4.69%) was significantly higher than that of ACV, indicating that the enhanced attractiveness of BRV to SWD was accomplished by the additive effects of polyamines and other known attractive volatiles, such as acetic acid and acetoin. BRV is expected to be a powerful tool for the efficient management of SWD.